New Bedford man sentenced for fentanyl operation, $1.2 million seized

BOSTON, Mass. (WLNE) — A New Bedford man was sentenced to federal prison Monday in U.S. District Court for his role in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy that saw him in possession of $1.2 million in cash, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Vinicio DeJesus Marrero Arias, 40, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl in October of 2024.

He will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence.

Arias was identified as a fentanyl distributor in and around the Lord Phillips Apartments in New Bedford, and several court-authorized searches were conducted.

Investigators found several hundred grams of fentanyl and $1.2 million in suspected drug proceeds in searches of Arias’ residence, stash house apartment and two storage units.

Arias’s co-conspirator, Yohenry Contreras-Lara, pleaded guilty to charges in November of 2024 and will be sentenced on March 3.